Nolana hybrida cultivar ‘Lorma Blanca’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Nolana  plant named ‘Loma Blanca’, characterized by numerous single flowers that are white in color with a dark purple veined center; dark purple anthers and pollen grains, freely branching growth habit, no fruit set from self pollination, and good performance in the garden and as a hanging basket.

Botanical designation: Nolana hybrida.

Variety denomination: ‘Loma Blanca’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Nolana plant, botanically known as a Nolana artificial hybrid, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Loma Blanca’.

The new Nolana is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Durham, N.H. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact Nolana plants with attractive flowers, profuse flowering and reduced fruit set.

The new ‘Loma Blanca’ originated from seed collected from open pollination of a proprietary selection of Nolana identified with code number UNH N2-46-2 (NOL5), not patented. Seed was collected from a greenhouse-grown plant on Jan. 17, 2003 and sown on Nov. 24, 2003. From the progeny, a single plant N5-OP-24 was selected in Durham, N.H., USA, on the basis of its profuse flowering, compact growth habit and attractive flowers.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal vegetative cuttings since April, 2004, taken in Durham, N.H. has shown that the unique features of this new Nolana are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar ‘Loma Blanca’ have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity and day length without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Loma Blanca’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Loma Blanca’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Numerous single flowers that are white in color with a dark         purple veined center.     -   2. Dark purple anthers and pollen grains.     -   3. Freely branching growth habit.     -   4. No fruit set from self pollination.     -   5. Good performance in the garden and as a hanging basket.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Durham, N.H., plants of the new Nolana differed from plants of the parent selection, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Flowers of plants of the new Nolana were white with dark         purple center while flowers on the parent selection were light         blue with white center.     -   2. Flowers of plants of the new Nolana had dark purple anthers         and pollen grains while flowers on the parent selection were         white.     -   3. Plants on the new Nolana were less pubescent than plants of         the parent selection.

Plants of the new Nolana can be compared to plants of Nolana cultivar ‘Nolgold’ (a.k.a. ‘Blue Eyes’) U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,141. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Durham, N.H., plants of the new Nolana differed from plants of ‘Nolgold’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Nolana had white flowers with purple center         while flowers on the cultivar ‘Nolgold’ were blue violet and         white bicolored.     -   2. Flowers of plants of the new Nolana had dark purple anthers         and pollen grains while flowers on the cultivar ‘Nolgold’ were         white.     -   3. Plants of the new Nolana had smaller flowers than plants of         the cultivar ‘Nolgold’.     -   4. Plants of the new Nolana had shorter internodes than plants         of the cultivar ‘Nolgold’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Nolana.

One photograph comprises a side perspective view of one typical 22-cm container of ‘Loma Blanca’ with three plants.

The other photograph is a close-up view of typical flowers and leaves of ‘Loma Blanca’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Durham, N.H., in a heated greenhouse with 21° C. day/18° C. night set points. After planting rooted cuttings, plants were grown for about four months in 20-cm containers with three plants per container. Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Color was evaluated under indirect, natural light.

-   Botanical classification: Nolana hybrid cultivar ‘Loma Blanca’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—Proprietary selection of Nolana identified             with code number UNH N2-46-2 (NOL5), not patented. UNH             N2-46-2 (NOL5) was obtained from hybridization performed by             the Inventor on Aug. 31, 2001, between a non-identified             plant of Nolana paradoxa, and a non-identified plant of             Nolana aplocaryoides.         -   Male parent.—Unidentified, seed was obtained from open             pollination in a greenhouse containing multiple Nolana             plants. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About seven days at 21° C.         -   Time to develop roots.—About 15 days at 21° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white, color 155D.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Form.—Annual flowering plant; moderately vigorous; outwardly             spreading and trailing plant habit; uniformly mounded plant             form. Freely branching habit with lateral branches             potentially forming at very node.         -   Plant height.—About 30 cm.         -   Plant diameter (area of spread), single plant.—About 30 cm.         -   Vigor.—Moderately vigorous.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 15 cm. Diameter: About             2.5 mm. Internode length: 2-2.5 cm. Texture: glabrous.             Color: 144B.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: alternate. Length: About             4 cm. Width: About 1 cm. Shape: elliptic. Apex: Acute. Base:             Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Bullate surface, mostly glabrous with a few hairs             on midrib. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color: Developing             leaves, upper and lower surfaces: 137B. Fully expanded             leaves, upper surface: 137B. Fully expanded leaves, lower             surface: 137C. Venation, upper and lower surfaces: 144A. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and habit.—Trumpet-shaped; single, axillary.             Flowers face mostly upward or outward and are held above the             foliage. Flowers not fragrant. Very freely flowering,             typically about three open flowers and ten flower buds per             lateral branch at one time.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower from April to             October in the Northern Hemisphere until frost in the             autumn; flowering continuous during this period. Plants will             flower under short or long days in a greenhouse.         -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About three days.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Flower size.—Diameter: 2.5-3 cm. Depth (height): 2.5-3 cm.         -   Flower buds (showing color).—Length: About 1 cm. Diameter:             About 5 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Color: 94C.         -   Petals.—Quantity/arrangement: Five petals arranged in a             single whorl, fused into a flared trumpet. Petal length from             throat: About 2 cm. Petal width: About 1.3 cm. Shape:             Funnel. Apex: Wavy. Base: United. Margin: Wavy. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, satiny. Color: When             opening, upper surface: 94D. When opening, lower surface:             91B. Fully opened, upper surface: 94D; upper base, 86A.             Fully opened, lower surface: 91C; lower base, 145C.         -   Sepals.—Arrangement/appearance: Five sepals arranged in a             single whorl; three sepals and two sepals fused together at             the base. Length: About 1 cm. Width: About 2-3 mm. Shape:             ovate. Apex: Acute. Base: Rounded. Margin: Entire. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and             lower surfaces: 144A.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 2 cm. Width: About 1 mm. Angle:             About 45° from the main stem. Strength: Moderately strong.             Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 145A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Five,             adnate to base of the corolla tube. Anther shape: Elliptic.             Anther length: About 1 mm. Anther width: About 1 mm. Anther             color: 83C. Pollen amount: Abundant. Pollen color: 98B.             Attachment to filament: dorifixed and versatile. Filament             length: three short, about 5 mm; two long, about 8 mm.             Filament width: About 1 mm. Pistils: Quantity per flower:             One. Pistil length: About 1 cm. Style length: About 8 mm.             Style color: 145C. Stigma shape: Oval. Stigma color: 144A.             Ovary color: 145B.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and/or fruit production is moderate under             open pollination with other Nolana plants. No seed and/or             fruit production from self-pollination. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Nolana have not been     noted to be resistant to pathogens or pests common to Nolana. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Nolana plant named ‘Loma Blanca,’ as illustrated and described. 